Drake's wish granted: CN Tower, Toronto sign go gold after Grammy win

He didn’t call him on his cellphone, but Mayor John Tory received Drake’s message loud and clear.

The superstar wanted Toronto to have on display some shiny gold night-time bling.

And it turns out Mayor John Tory is not “stupid” or “dumb” as superstar Toronto rapper jokingly asked after winning a Grammy award in Los Angeles Sunday night. He knows when there is an opportunity to put some shine on Toronto and honoured Drake’s request.

“I want to say the mayor of Toronto needs to turn the CN Tower gold tomorrow — in chrome and gold tomorrow. Are you stupid are you dumb?” the rapper said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.

Tory confirmed on Twitter that the CN Tower — like the popular Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square — would be lit in gold.

To the untrained ear, it sounded like Aubrey Graham, the pride of Forest Hill, was dissing his hometown’s chief magistrate — the very man who presented him with the key to the city in 2016.

Instead, the best we can decipher, it seems he was talking friendly, teasing smack to Tory in rap language — quote “are you stupid, are you dumb” from the 2017 rap hit Clout by Ty Dolla Sign and 21 Savage.

Whatever the legendary rapper was trying to convey, it worked.

And Drake thanked Tory for the gesture, posting on Instagram late Monday: “I was talking last night as if I don’t have these on control using the hue lighting app…😂 nah for real I love my city and this is my real sign of love and recognition thank you to the waviest mayor John Tory!”

The Six God, who I always joke seems to skate on scandal like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was actually a surprise drop-in at the Grammys since he and others have felt snubbed by the awards show in past years despite having worldwide success.

And while he was merely offering Tory a suggestion, when it came to the Grammys committee, he was laser-focused with verbal blows landing one after another.

“The first time in Grammy history where I actually am who I thought I was for a second, so I like that,” he told the crowd.

He reminded “kids watching, those aspiring to do music, and all my peers that make music from their heart, that do things pure and tell the truth and to know we play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport. It is not the NBA … This is a business where sometimes it is up to a bunch of people that might not understand what a mixed race kid from Canada has to say … or a brother from Houston right there, my brother Travis.”

The “TORONTO” sign at Nathan Phillips Square was lit up in gold on Feb. 11, 2019. (Veronica Henri, Toronto Sun)

Drake said if you fall into that category “you’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you are a hero in your hometown. If there is people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you, you already won.”

Drake referenced being a hero in one’s own hometown and it depends on who is doing the judging whether he is considered that.